Volunteer Wildfire Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fighting wildfires \u2013 trained and on-call for the season\/year | Free & long-term<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a Capetonian looking to make a big difference, the Volunteer Wildfire Services<\/a> is a fantastic initiative to support. This organisation is called out to fight any fire that starts up in our mountains. It\u2019s the best line of defence against the loss of fynbos species and other environmental issues that arise with overly frequent wildfires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They take in volunteers once a year, generally around March and April, and you\u2019re trained up to be able to hike to the fire if necessary, combat it without water, and then return by foot. It can be gruelling work, lasting many hours. So volunteering with them is not for the faint of heart! You also need to be available reasonably often and be willing and able to train and give this real time and effort. You can sign up by completing this form<\/a>. Please go through their website before doing so as there are specific requirements! <\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you can, you\u2019ll be making a real difference! It\u2019s also an amazing bonding experience with your fellow firefighters, and exceedingly satisfactory, coming home exhausted after a long day of battling fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) has been on the front line, combating dangerous and sometimes deadly runaway wildfires since its inception during the devastating fires that ravaged Cape Town in 1999\/2000. With a force of more than 300 volunteers, with women making up 34% of our volunteers, who operate from our four stations, Newlands, South Peninsula, Stellenbosch and Helderberg VWS is the largest volunteer firefighting organisation in South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to our unwavering commitment, VWS has recorded close to 100,000 active firefighting hours between its members and stations, showing that nothing can stand in our way when it comes to protecting our beloved communities and natural landscapes.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2014 Jenny Scheffers, Chief Marketing Officer<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Alien plant-hacking | Free & short-term<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A fantastic way to get your hands dirty, the Tokai alien plant hack<\/a> happens twice a week, on Tuesdays and some Saturdays. You\u2019ll need to bring sturdy gloves and shoes, and if you have the tools, be sure to bring them along! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends of Tokai are doing some really great work, steadily removing the alien vegetation in the area so that the native plantlife<\/a> has a chance to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to support but can\u2019t volunteer, you can also support them on social media or donate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c<\/strong>Every species has its own right to exist, and we have a responsibility to protect those that we have driven to the brink of extinction\u2026 Due to being both incredibly species-rich and at threat, [Tokai Park] is the perfect place for us to focus on conservation and restoration locally. We should be doing all we can to establish minimum viable populations for these remaining species, removing the pines and seeing what other species, or populations, may recover once the pines are gone. The soil under the pines is like a time capsule waiting to be opened, but if we take too long fighting about it (i.e. whether the pines should go or stay), the last of those seeds could expire at any time. We could lose this time capsule of the natural heritage from our past.” <\/p>\n\u2014 Alanna Rebelo, Committee Member<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n River cleanups and rehabilitation | Free; short-term or long-term<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo by Callum Evans<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another wonderful ongoing environmental rehabilitation project in Cape Town! For the past few years, locals have been putting a lot of effort into rehabilitating the Liesbeek as a green corridor flowing through Cape Town. And there\u2019s still a lot of work to be done! <\/p>\n\n\n\n FoTR arranges regular river and canal cleanups, as well as alien hacks and indigenous vegetation replanting. It\u2019s such an incredible project for our city\u2019s biodiversity and allows native plant and animal life to thrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep an eye on their Facebook page<\/a> for updates and volunteering opportunities, or become a member<\/a> if you\u2019re able to help more long-term!<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are other ‘Friends of’ groups all over Cape Town, dedicated to sustaining and improving our city’s incredible biodiversity. The map below shows you where you can find one closer to you! I’m not sure who created this fantastic resource, but I discovered it here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wandercapetown.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image.jpeg\")
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Friends of Tokai Alien Hack<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Friends of The Liesbeek River<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Liesbeek](\"https:\/\/wandercapetown.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/P31200891.jpg\")
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